Trumpet mute



July 28, 1925. 1,547,900

F. CHIAFFARELL:

TRUMPET MUTE Filed May l, 1923 Slaven/Hot Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES FRANK CHIAFFARELLI, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRUMPET MUTE.

Application filed May 1, 1923. Serial No. 635,982.

T all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, FRANK CHIAFFARELLI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bronx, New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trumpet Mutes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable l0 others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved mute for use in connection with wind musical instruments, but it has more particular reference to a mute which is especially designed for use in the bell of a cornet, trumpet, trombone or the like.

The principal objectof the invention is to provide an improved form of mute which may be referred to as a convertible mute due to the fact that it is of such construction that by proper manipulation without removing it from the bell of the horn, it can be varied to change the quality or intensity of the tonal waves issuing from the horn to produce varied effects. y

lvlore'speciiically speaking, it is an object of the invention. to provide a mute which is especially designed for insertion in the bell ofa trumpet, this mute being similar to the one commonly employed, but being provided with a series of openings through which the sound waves may pass and these openings being controlled by a valve operated from the exterior of the horn, so that they can be entirely closed to produce the full muted effect or opened to the desired degree to produce a more open and sombre tone resembling that of a French horn.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure l is a longitudinal section of the bell of a trumpet showing the improved mute inserted therein with the openings partially opened.

Figure 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figures 3 and 4L are transverse sections taken'on the lines 3 3 and P-4 respectively of Fig. 2.

As seen in the drawing, the preferred form of the invention comprises a truncated-conical body l which is open at its inner small end and closed at its opposite end. This part of the mute is substantially a duplicate of the form of mute now commonly employed by cornetists and the like. lhen the common type of mute is employed, it gives a full muted effect to the tone and since it is found desirable to vary this tone color while playing without removing the mute from the horn, I have conceived of a form of mute which,'as before stated, permits this result to be accomplished. In carrying out this end, I simply form the truncated-conical body l at a point between its ends with a row of circumferentially spaced openings 2 and when the full muted etfect or tone color is desired, these openings are entirely closed by an outer conical sleeve 3 which surrounds the body l and is stationary with respect thereto to permit this result to be obtained. The sleeve 3 is comparatively long and is provided between its ends with openings 3"1L with which the opening 2 in the body l are adapted to be registered when a more full tone is desired. At its inner end, this conical sleeve 3 abuts a bushing or shoulder 4 on the inner end of the aforesaid body 1 and this sleeve 3 is provided between its ends with the usual cork lugs or spacers 5 which are adapted to bind against the inner Wall of the bell of the horn.

In practice, the mute is inserted in the bell of a trumpet or the like in the usual way so that the cork lugs 5 bind against the inner wall of the bell. If it is desired to play a strain in pianissimo style, the closed inner body l is grasped while the device is in the horn and rotated relatively to the sleeve 3 to close the openings in these parts. Thus, the full muted effect can be had. If it is desired to increase the intensity of the sound waves slightly or to produce a more open tonal effect, the body is grasped and rotated to uncover the openings to the desired degree, thus permitting a greater volume to be produced. When the openings in the mutew are fullyuncovered, the instrument does nothave its'original tone quality, but

has a slightly muted efect and it may be accurately stated that at this timetlie tone resembles slightly that of a French horn.

lt is to be noted that a mute of the constructiondescribed will be found particularly advantageous in use, in that the adjustment can be made while the mute is in' position so that if desired a few vbars of any strain can be rendered more e-tl'fective"with-v t-he full muted tone and succeeding bars lmade more effective with a more open tone, thisresult can well be obtained. Furthermore, in al small' combination of instruments 'where the original'trumpet tones would be found too loud, the French hornv effect can be produced to good advantage. These and other advantages and features of the inventionV havegdoubtless been made appar .it from the foregoing description and a 'more lengthy description -is therefore deemedunnecessary. lt is also tov be noted that thel conical bodies from which'the mute is formed are of such a diameter that the entire mute is substantially confined `within thebell of the instrument. Hence, instead of the4 sound Waves vbeing ejected directly into the atmosphere, they are projected against the surrounding wall of the bell to insure the desired resonant.tonevproduction.

is before indicated, the mute is Vequally well adaptable for use in connection with trombones, Vand in order to adapt it for this purpose it will simplybe increased in size to tit the bell of this respective form of instru'inent. Y i Since probablythe best results may be obtained with theA construction and arrangement herein V'shown and described, this is taken asthepreferred .embodiment of the invention. iHowever, I wish it tol be understood that minor changes coming withinthe scope of the invention as claimed may be resorted to if desired.

I claim:

1. A mute comprising a truncated conical body having an unobstructed interior and being closed at its outer end, open at its opposite end, and provided between its ends with a row of circumferentially spaced openings, and a fixed Valve sleeve with which said body is associated for controlling the-passage of sound waves through said openings, j

25A mute. of'tlie class described comprising a truncated-conical open-ended sleeve provided between its ends withl afrow of circumferentially spaced openings equipped adjacent its inner end with circumfereiitially spaced lugs to Lfrictionally and engage the bell of the horn, Vand av hollow truncated-conical body rotatable withinsaid sleeve, saidbody being closed at its outer end, open at its inner end, and-provided in its conical walls between its ends with a row of circumferentially spaced openings positioned to register withk the corresponding openings in the sleeve. Y j 3. In a. mute for trumpets and analogous musical instruments, a pair of inneran'd outer conical members, the inner rotatable Awith respect to the other and'provided'between their opposite ends with openings positioned to register with each other, one of said bodies being closed at its outer end to permit the sound waves to escape through FRANK CHIAFFARELLL 

